FORT JENNINGS — In 1884, Thomas Stevens became the first man to ride across the country on a bicycle. Beginning on April 1, friends Tim Schmidt and Kevin McNatt decided to re-create the journey, right down to the bikes. The pair chose to ride modern replicas of the 1885 Victor, which they say is the “Cadillac of replicas.” “The Victor was made by a company called Victory Bicycles in Orlando, Florida,” McNatt said. “I have a genuine antique at home but it wouldn’t withstand the journey. We’re both members of The Wheelmen, which is a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to keeping what we call the golden age of American cycling alive.”
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